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How do you find super eyeclean SI2s?

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slycatty

Rough_Rock
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I''ve seen a lot of posts showing GORGEOUS super eyeclean SI2s. How do you find these needles in a haystack? Do you ask the vendor to look for you or try to tell based on the certificates? I''ve been trying to find a 2 carat ISI2 from Whiteflash or James Allen. All of the magnified pictures of SI2s on James Allen make it look like the stone won''t be eyeclean but it''s hard to tell if it is be eyeclean in person. For those that have the SI2s, is the stone eyeclean when you look at your diamond up close? I know that eyeclean is defined as not seeing inclusions from certain distances, but I''m wondering if I can find a SI2 that''s eyeclean up close. I know I can go to a SI1, but SI2s are so much lower in price. I don''t mind having a SI2 as long as I don''t see the inclusions and it doesn''t affect light performance. Are there certain inclusions that are better than others? Thanks.
 
I firmly believe that with most SI2s you *can* see the inclusions if you know where they are and you have good vision, and you look up close. If you ae ok with this, then SI2s are a great option. If you want to never ever in a million years see inclusions, then SI2s are not for you. (I own one btw)

To find one that is eye clean you need to call vendors and ask them what they have. You cannot judge by certs or magnified photos. And it is a needle in a haystack. So you might have to wait to get one.
 
Its a gamble with SI2s. You certainly can ask a vendor and specify the viewing distance. Do you care about the sides being eye clean? But that is not a 100% guarantee that under all lighting circumstances that an inclusion is not visible. It would be preferable that after a vendor checked it that you view the stone yourself under different lighting situations. And some people look at a stone and swear it is eye clean and other people see inclusions. Sometimes people just don''t know what they are looking at. You need a lot of patience. And some inclusions do affect light performance like some clouds. Sometimes you wouldn''t see the actual inclusion but the light performance in that area could be different which is a give away of a problem.
 
Inclusions that are better than others?

Since you asked... I'd prefer a diamond that does not have feathers since feather is a nice word for fracture, and fracture is a nice word for crack.

Other people take a "Oh a feather is not an issue if person X says so, so just put your mind at ease", but to me a crack does not make a diamond any stronger and I'm going to look for crack-free ones.
It may take more time, but they're out there.

If you are informed about feathers and okay with them in your diamond (especially SI diamond and lower clarity), then so be it.
 
I agree with Kenney...feathers are a no go.

I agree with Dreamer...most SIs are not really eye clean.
 
Date: 3/19/2010 1:22:36 AM
Author: Firestone
I agree with Kenney...feathers are a no go.

I agree with Dreamer...most SIs are not really eye clean.
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SI2s
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I think it is much easier to find an eye clean SI1.
 
Date: 3/19/2010 1:25:55 AM
Author: dreamer_d
Date: 3/19/2010 1:22:36 AM

Author: Firestone

I agree with Kenney...feathers are a no go.


I agree with Dreamer...most SIs are not really eye clean.
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SI2s
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I think it is much easier to find an eye clean SI1.
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1s are better than 2s but then again VSs are even better. Depending on the size this person is going for it may not be that much more to move up to VSs.
 
Date: 3/19/2010 1:30:17 AM
Author: Firestone

Date: 3/19/2010 1:25:55 AM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 3/19/2010 1:22:36 AM

Author: Firestone

I agree with Kenney...feathers are a no go.


I agree with Dreamer...most SIs are not really eye clean.
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SI2s
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I think it is much easier to find an eye clean SI1.
Click to expand...

1s are better than 2s but then again VSs are even better. Depending on the size this person is going for it may not be that much more to move up to VSs.
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VS2 is totally mind clean for me because it will 99% of the time be eye clean without any worry.

I did own an SI1 that had a really nasty clarity plot and was totally eye clean even in 40x PS photos.
 
Completely, totally eyeclean SI2s from 6" from all angles above say 1.5cts... I don't believe they exist, period, if you have 20/20 or better vision. If they were they wouldn't be SI2s.



Mostly clean, though, or with strategically placed inclusions, or clean face-up but not from the side - they're rare but certainly can be found.



ETA: This is coming from a happy former 2ct SI2 owner
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Date: 3/19/2010 1:54:29 AM
Author: yssie
Completely, totally eyeclean SI2s from 6'' from all angles above say 1.5cts... I don''t believe they exist, period, if you have 20/20 or better vision. If they were they wouldn''t be SI2s.




Mostly clean, though, or with strategically placed inclusions, or clean face-up but not from the side - they''re rare but certainly can be found.
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That is true. The bigger the stone the more likely inclusions can be seen. And the bigger the stone the more likely someone is going to want to get a good look at your rock and zoom in close.
 
the magnified/loupe pics on websites don''t really tell you much, honestly, esp. if you''re looking for a brilliant cut - the sparkles can hide some surprisingly visible-in-2D things - and surprisingly fail to hide some things. Best thing is to have a trusted vendor look at the stone in question.


Another great find is an SI2 with a visible inclusion near the girdle that can be hidden with a prong.
 
Date: 3/19/2010 2:27:52 AM
Author: slycatty
I don''t really mind if the stone is not eyeclean from the side as long as it is eyeclean from the top. I read that kristie https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/its-here-my-brian-gavin-signature-diamond-2-45-rb-e-ring-pics.138862/ found a super eye clean SI2 and was hoping to find one in a 2 carat I color.
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I guess Kristie is lucky. Wasn''t Kristie the person who had to return her previously purchased stone that was said to be eye clean and she at first thought it was eye clean but it really wasn''t eye clean?
 
They are a needle in a haystack, especially if your definition of eyeclean is going to be from all sides. I think Kristie''s, if I recall, was one that the vendor said they felt was graded harshly. BGD was the vendor and they cut and buy to their own specs, from rough, so I am assuming that when Brian did his own assessment of the stone when he bought it, and sent it to AGS he thought it was a higher clarity grade (maybe SI1). So... kind of a fluke in Kristie''s case. I think you do have a better chance at finding an eyeclean SI1, and your best bet is to go to someplace like BGD or Infinity where they cut, buy and grade their own, because they will probably be able to tell you the most about the diamond and give you the best information on which diamond (if any) is that needle is that needle in a haystack because they aren''t a drop shipper.

When I was looking for studs, I asked Brian for K SI2 (eyeclean) with medium flourescence... not something they normally carry. And I was fine waiting until a PAIR of stones that matched my criteria came up. That''s kinda what I think you''ll have to do if you are looking for a "totally" clean SI2. Just call up a vendor and see if any flukes have come by, or put your name on a list if they don''t. You''ll have to be patient though, most likely.
 
Hola!! That was me
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Yes, I have supersonic crazy good 20/15 eagle vision......I find flaws in EVERYTHING.
My 2.45 RB from Brian Gavin Diamonds IS 100% without a shadow of a doubt, TOTALLY and amazingly eyeclean, it is even super clean from the sides. I scored a very rare stone.....an eyeclean SI2
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Brian also did tell me it was graded VERY harshly and he felt it was more of an SI1 stone than a SI2...SCORE for me!

I would absolutely trust BGD to find you an eyeclean I/SI2. I spoke with Brian on the phone as he examined the diamond for me. He basically gave me an audio tour of the whole stone on the phone with me before they even shipped it out. I wound up having them send a H/VS1 and a G/SI2 because I was SI2 paranoid from past bad experiences......I fell in love with the G/SI2.

How about this one...although it is an SI1 but it is an I. Give them a call and they can see if they have anything coming in that matches your criteria. I am very confident they will find you exactly what you are looking for.
http://www.briangavindiamonds.com/diamond/diamond-detail/?product_id=AGS-1040399230059
 
Kristie, that''s such a pretty diamond. Too bad it''s out of my price range. I''ve been looking for an inhouse 2 carat SI2 stone from BGD, Whiteflash, or James Allen but none of the stores seem to have any ISI2s or even SI2s in stock. So I was thinking I''d have to find a non inhouse stone from one of those vendors. I was hoping there was a way to guess if a stone was likely to be eyeclean based on pictures or certificates. I didn''t want to waste the vendors time by having them bring in diamonds for me to find out that they aren''t eyeclean.
 
Personally after a bad experience with a non PS vendor, I would not trust anyone other than BGD, WF, and GOG, etc. to tell me an SI2 is eyeclean. I had multiple SI2's that were promised to be eyeclean from other vendors and when they arrived they were NOT eyeclean at all. I absolutely trust Brain to tell me if a stone is truly eyeclean, he restored my faith in diamond vendors. However, I will never go to anyone but him since he earned my trust
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Also, consider getting a 1.85 or 1.95 or so. You will save money by not hitting that magic 2 ct. mark and the difference visibly will not be noticeable at all.

If you feel comfortable sharing your budget, knowledgeable PSers will help you find a perfect stone.
 
My max budget is 15k but I was hoping to go lower if possible :) I think BGD, Whiteflash, and James Allen do take a look at the stones that are not inhouse and give you an opinion before they sell it. I''d trust BGD too, just they don''t have SI2s in stock currently.
 
WF will bring in an outside stone if you find something you like. They will run a sarin and provide IS/ASET images, and if you don't like it you pay return shipping and the photographing expenses (for GIA/AGS - for egl/hrd stones you pay up front).


It can get pricey after a few bad stones so you want to make sure you're really interested in those stones, and that they have potential.
 
I would seriously consider anything between about 1.80 and 1.95 just because visibly, you will not notice a big difference but the price will be much better under 2 cts for an amazing stone......

Are you really firm on an I/SI2?
 
In my experience, most AGS-graded SI2''s are eye-clean, at least if the definition is limited to the face-up-view.

Still, like so often, it is good advice to have you vendor check it and to work with a vendor, who knows his stuff.

Live long,
 
Date: 3/19/2010 3:07:15 AM
Author: slycatty
Kristie, that''s such a pretty diamond. Too bad it''s out of my price range. I''ve been looking for an inhouse 2 carat SI2 stone from BGD, Whiteflash, or James Allen but none of the stores seem to have any ISI2s or even SI2s in stock. So I was thinking I''d have to find a non inhouse stone from one of those vendors. I was hoping there was a way to guess if a stone was likely to be eyeclean based on pictures or certificates. I didn''t want to waste the vendors time by having them bring in diamonds for me to find out that they aren''t eyeclean.
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that''s the reason why i only buy in house stone.
 
^^^I could not agree more. I will NEVER EVER E V E R buy a stone that is not in house after all of my bad experiences.......especially an SI2, no way, no how.
 
Date: 3/19/2010 1:22:36 AM
Author: Firestone
I agree with Kenney...feathers are a no go.

I agree with Dreamer...most SIs are not really eye clean.
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Actually that isn't the case, expert opinions also differ on that one, while some feathers can indeed be problematic, there are plenty of diamonds even in SI clarities out there that never have any problems.

I did a thread on this matter a while back that you might find enlightening https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/calling-the-experts-when-is-a-feather-an-issue.126601/
 
Date: 3/19/2010 2:44:37 AM
Author: Gypsy
They are a needle in a haystack, especially if your definition of eyeclean is going to be from all sides. I think Kristie's, if I recall, was one that the vendor said they felt was graded harshly. BGD was the vendor and they cut and buy to their own specs, from rough, so I am assuming that when Brian did his own assessment of the stone when he bought it, and sent it to AGS he thought it was a higher clarity grade (maybe SI1). So... kind of a fluke in Kristie's case. I think you do have a better chance at finding an eyeclean SI1, and your best bet is to go to someplace like BGD or Infinity where they cut, buy and grade their own, because they will probably be able to tell you the most about the diamond and give you the best information on which diamond (if any) is that needle is that needle in a haystack because they aren't a drop shipper.


When I was looking for studs, I asked Brian for K SI2 (eyeclean) with medium flourescence... not something they normally carry. And I was fine waiting until a PAIR of stones that matched my criteria came up. That's kinda what I think you'll have to do if you are looking for a 'totally' clean SI2. Just call up a vendor and see if any flukes have come by, or put your name on a list if they don't. You'll have to be patient though, most likely.
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This is very good advice. Brian Gavin, and the vendors who carry Paul Slegers' Crafted by Infinity line, have more control over and more knowledge of their inventory. They are also the type of vendors who will get to know you on a personal level and learn your individual "quirks" and preferences for color and clarity. And they will contact you when something becomes available that meets your specs.
 
Date: 3/19/2010 3:07:15 AM
Author: slycatty
Kristie, that's such a pretty diamond. Too bad it's out of my price range. I've been looking for an inhouse 2 carat SI2 stone from BGD, Whiteflash, or James Allen but none of the stores seem to have any ISI2s or even SI2s in stock. So I was thinking I'd have to find a non inhouse stone from one of those vendors. I was hoping there was a way to guess if a stone was likely to be eyeclean based on pictures or certificates. I didn't want to waste the vendors time by having them bring in diamonds for me to find out that they aren't eyeclean.
Click to expand...

Check on the Crafted by Infinity website to see if there is a vendor near you. That way you can make an appointment to see some Infinity diamonds in person. Crafted by Infinity cuts superideal RBs and Princess cuts, and cuts diamonds in all color and clarity ranges, so you may find an incredible deal on an eye-clean SI2 from them. If there is no vendor near you, contact one of the vendors (Wink from High Performance Diamonds is the one I worked with; I'd also work with any of the others listed) and ask them to view the stones for you and make a video (Wink will do this) for you. Because they are not drop shippers or working from virtual inventory, they can assess the stones in person and there is no cost to bring the stones in. They have a good return policy, too, so you can view the stone in person, have it appraised, etc., and return it if it's not eye clean enough for your taste.
 
Kristi did find a needle in a haystack.. a gorgeous G/SI2..go Kristi! From personal experience I would definitely trust BGD''s opinion.. Bella posted 2 gorgeous BG signature stones.. both J/SI1.. I would talk with Brian about one of those, they are 2ct and it may be a J bordering I color. Good luck on your search!
 
I have an SI2 and the inclusions are only visible when the stone is dirty. So I make it a mission to keep it clean at all times!
 
I would cyber stalk GOG, WF and BGD for SI2s in the size you want, and then call immediately when they show up to get an assessment of eye cleanliness.

Brian mentioned to me in a phone call the other day that the 2ct F SI2 they had was one of those rare 1000% eye clean SI2s. Not surprisingly, when I just went to look for it to show you, it is now sold only 2 days later!
 
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